Newcastle take a break from playing at home with a tough encounter at Villa Park tonight (5.30pm), with Sels hoping to put things right in the Championship after tasting defeat against Wolves last weekend.

The defeat against Walter Zenga’s side ended a run of four consecutive clean sheets for the Belgian goalkeeper.

Successive shutouts had been a good response to some early doubters who felt the former Gent star looked shaky in his first few matches for the club.

Sels told the Chronicle: “At home it can be difficult to play sometimes.

“Some of the teams come here to play it like a cup final at St James’ Park. It is a day out for visiting supporters so we have to make ourselves work twice as hard.”

Now Sels is hoping to start another sequence of clean sheets after four games without conceding.

Only Steve Harper has come close in recent years to Kevin Carr’s record run of six clean sheets in a row between the posts for United.

Former Newcastle United keeper Kevin Carr

Back in 2010, Harper kept five clean sheets in a row but then conceded in the 2-1 loss to Blackpool meaning 1984 promotion veteran Carr held on to his long-standing record.

But Sels fell short of Harper’s efforts six years ago when he was beaten by his own player in Chancel Mbemba at the Gallowgate End seven days ago.

He said: “We had a good sequence of results, we kept clean sheets four games in a row.

“That was good for everybody in the team.

“It was good for the confidence and for everyone.”

But he knows it won’t be easy against Villa, despite their dismal run of just one win in eight matches so far.

The 24-year-old said: “It’s a hard game because Aston Villa were only relegated last season.

“Everybody knows that Aston Villa will be one of the favourites to go up again.

“It will be a hard game and hopefully we can get a good result against them.”

And when asked if he would sacrifice a clean sheet and personal glory for three points against Villa this weekend, Sels answered: “For me the most important thing is that we win.

“If we try to win every game is more important than a clean sheet, that much is sure.

“We are here to go up and return directly to the Premier League. The most important thing is that we win.”